Sound reproducing apparatus



Dec. s, 1936. y A BERGLUND 2,063,578

, souND REPRDUCING APPARATUS Filed om. 18, 1954 Y INVENTOR Bl rhur Berg/und ATTORNEYS Patented' Dec.l 8, 1936- u UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,063,578 souNn amonuoma APPARATUS rinunci-gland, Dobbs Fen-y, N. Y. Application october 1s, 1934, semi No. 748,193 e (ci. 274-14) This invention pertains' to sound reproducing apparatus.

It has for an object the provision of a phonographic device adapted to operate in any position.'

Another object is the provision of a phonographic device dispensing with hornsor tone arms.

A further object is the provision of a device of the above character operable by a spring motor in which the reproducing means is automati cally placed in starting position as the motor is wound. j y

Another purpose is the provision of a device of the above character which may be cheaply and 'easily manufactured.

A still further object is the provision of a device of the 1above character adapted for use in talking dolls, toys and the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention lwill appear inthe course of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the phonograph partly in section; y

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the same;

Figure 4 is a detail view of the stop mechanism;

Figure 5 is a fragmental view illustrating diagrammatically the relation of the needle point to the contour of the groove in the record;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the device applied to a talking doll; and

Figure? is an enlarged fragmental view showing the means by which the device is returned 'tostarting position.

Referring to Figure 1, a spring motor IIJ of any suitable type is comprised between upper and lower plates II and I2. A driven spindle I3 carries a table I4 on which a disk record I5 is secured by means of a nut I6 on the end of spindle I3.

'Ihe table I4 has a circumferential groove I1 cooperating with an endless belt I8, preferably of resilient material -such as coiled spring wire,` which is adapted to drive a smaller grooved pulley I9 rotatable on a pin 20 secured in the plate II. A spur gear 2| attached to the pulley I9 engages a pinion 22 on'a governor spindle 23 journalled in the plates II and I2. The spindle 23 carries a governor of any suitable type, herein illustratedby a fan or air-beater 24.

A winding spindle 25 of the motor I0, projecting through the plate I2, has near its outer end a cross pin 26 adapted to engage deep longitudinal slots 21 in the barrel'28 of a key 29.

and I2, has slidable and rotatable therein a shaft 34 urged downward by a compressionspring 35 bearing against a collar 3E retained on the lower end of the shaft 341. A notch 31 in the end of sleeve 33 has a straight side 38 and an inclined side 39 adapted to guide a pin 4I) in the shaft 34 .as illustrated in enlarged detail in Figure 7 and hereinafter explained. A foot 4I on the lever 30 is adapted to engage the end of shaft 34 but is normally held clear of it by the spring 32 as noted above.

An arm 42, fastened to a curved member 42a, secured to the top of shaft 34, has fastened tliereto an inclined needle 43 adapted to bear on the g record I5. A resonant conical diaphragm 44 is secured at its middle point to an extension 45 of the arm 42. A ring 46, preferably of rubber or similar material, is cemented or otherwise fastened to the diaphragm 44 at its outer edge.

The numeral 41 indicates a brake lever centrally pivoted at 48 to the plate I I and having on one end a shoe portion 49 adapted to be normally urged against the bottom of the table I4 by a tension spring 50 linking the other end of lever 41 to the lower plate I2. A rod 5I, guided in lower plate I2 and loosely guided in the upper plate II, is pivotally connected at 52 to the lever 41 and carries on its outer end a button 53;

Referring to Figure 5, the .sound reproducing waves 54 in the record I5 are' situated ,in the bottom of the groove 55 to cooperate vertically with the needle 43. The groove 55 leads spirallyinward from the outer edge toward the center of the record in the usual way.

In Figure 6, a hollow doll 56 has fastened to its back a plate 5 1 to which the phonograph described is attached by any suitable means, such as threaded posts 58 and nuts 59, Figure 1. The plate 51 is provided with suitable holes 6U for the emission of sound and to permit insertion of the barrel 28 of the winding key 29. The brake rod 5I protrudes through the plate 51 to make the .button 53 operable from the outside.

The operation of the device vis as follows: Assuming the motor I0 to have been wound up and the needle 43 to have been set in the outer or starting end of groove 55, the pin 40 rests in notch 31 against the straight side 38 as shown in Figure 1'. 'I'he needle 43 is held into contact with the record I5 by the urge of spring 35, and the shoe portion 49 of brake lever 41, being urged against the table' I4, holds the latter stationary.

The button 53 is now pressed inward rocking the lever 41 and releasing the table I4. The motor I0 rotates the table I4 and record I5, and the needle 43 follows the groove 55, the shaft 34 turning in sleeve 33 to allow the needle and attached parts to swing toward the center of the record. The arm 42 and member 42a, being slightly resilient, allow the needle to follow accurately the waves 54, thereby setting up vibrations which are transmitted through the upward extension 42 to the middle of the diaphragm 44, causing the diaphragm to vibrate and reproduce the sound originally impressed on the record,

'I'he rubber ring 46 acts as a dampener on the diaphragm, improving the quality of the tone by preventing ringing and harsh sounds.

The diaphragm 44 may be made of any suitable resonant material, metallic or non-metallic. Of the metals, block tin gives good results when employed with the rubber damper ring.

As table I4 revolves, it drives the governor spindle 23 at relatively high speed through the belt I8, pulley I9, spur gear 2| and pinion. The resistance of the air to the rapid rotation of the fan 24 restrains the rotation of the table and holds the device at a substantially constant speed throughout the playing of the record.

When the record has been played, or when it is desired to stop the record anywhere in the course of its run, the button 53 is released, allowing the spring 50 to force the shoe 49 against the table I4 and thereby stop the mechanism.

As the needle 43 moves toward the center of the record, swinging the arm 42 and member 42a and rotating the shaft 34 in sleeve 33, the pin 43 is moved to the left, Figure 1, toward the inclined side 39 of the notch 31. When it is desired 'to rewind the motor for another run the barrel 28 of key 29 is tted over the winding spindle 25 and pushed inward, the cross pin 26 engaging the slots 21. 'Il'he slots being deep, the end of barrel 28 encounters the washer 30a and rocks the lever 30 toward the plate I2. The foot 4I encounters the end of the shaft 34 and pushes the latter upward against the spring 35, thus raising the needle 43 from the record I5. At the same time, as the shaft 34 travelsupward the pin 40 slides up the inclined side 33 of the notch 31, rotating the shaft 34 and swinging the reproducer outward to starting position. The motor is wound in the usual way, and as the key is withdrawn the spring 35 drops the needle 43 into the beginning of its groove 55, the pin moving down the straight side 38 of the notch 31 to its initial position as shown in Figure 1. Resetting the device to starting position after a partial run, either with or without rewinding, may similarly be accomplished by pushing in the key 29 as described.

The strength of the spring 35 is such that the weight of the reproducing parts is practically negligible compared with it. The needle 43 is therefore held firmly in contact with the record at all times except during resetting and consequently the device is adapted to play in any position. This is an important advantage as illustrated in the application of the device in a. talking doll, Figure 6. A child playing with such a doll may cause the device to reproduce its sound irrespective of the position of the doll, simply by depressing the button 53.

.As illustrated vin Figure 6 the phonograph device is so placed that when the doll is upright gravity assists in replacing the reproducer in starting position. However, a shoe 6 I may be provided on the lower end of the shaft 34, which when engaged by the foot 4I creates suilicient friction therewith to hold the reproducing parts in starting position during withdrawal of the key 29 irrespective of gravity. This provision allows resetting also to be accomplished irrespective of the position of the device as a whole.

From the foregoing description and the drawing it is evident that the invention comprises a device which is easily and cheaply manufactured. The reproducing partsv are simple, no hollow tone arms or horns being used, as the sound is brought forth and amplified by the single floating conical diaphragm with the ring 46 providing the dampening effect to improve the tone. The device is operable in any position and is automatically reset upon rewinding.

While the invention is herein described in preferred form it is not limited to the precise struct'ures shown, as various modications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sound reproducing device in combination, a frame comprising a motor, a table rotatable by said motor, a sound record secured to said table, a shaft rotatably mounted in said frame, a solid arm attached at one end to.said shaft, a needle secured to said arm and adapted to cooperate with said record, a resonant diaphragm attached at its center to the other end of said arm and supported entirely thereby, spring means acting through the medium of said shaft to hold said needle in engagement with Said record, and manual means to control said motor.

2. In a sound reproducing device in combination, a frame comprising a spring motor having a winding spindle adapted to receive a winding key, a table rotatable bysaid motor, a sound record secured to said table, a solid arm movably supported at one end by said frame, a needle secured to said arm and adapted to cooperate with said record, a resonant diaphragm attached to the other end of said arm and supported entirely thereby, spring means for normally holding said needle in engagement with said record, and means operable by the application of said key to said spindle to separate said needle from said record and to move said needle to starting position.

3. In a sound reproducing device in combination, a frame comprising a motor, a table rotatable by said motor, a sound record secured to said table, a stationary sleeve mounted in said frame, a shaft rotatably mounted in said sleeve, a substantially rigid arm attached at one end to said shaft, a needle secured to said arm and adapted to cooperate with said record, a resonant diaphragm attached at its center to the other end of said arm and supported entirely thereby, a collar fixed to the other end of said shaft, and spring means positioned on said shaft between said sleeve and said collar bearing frictionally against said sleeve with a force greater than the combined weight of the arm, the needle and the diaphragm for holding said needle in engagement with said record, said device to be operated in any position.

4. In a phonographic device in combination.

'a frame comprising a. motor adapted to rotate a sound record, a' sleeve secured to said frame and having a notch formed with a side inclined with respect to the axis of said sleeve, a shaft rotatable and slidable in said sleeve, reproducing means secured to said shaft and adapted to cooperate With said record, a pin in said shaft adapted to engage said inclined side, resilient means acting through the medium of said shaft to normally hold said reproducing means in engagement with said record, and means acting against said resilient means for sliding said shaft .i

endwise to disengage said reproducing means from said record, said pin cooperating with said inclined side to rotate said shaft whereby said reproducing means may be moved to starting position relative to said record.

. 5. In a sound reproducing device in combination, a frame comprising a spring motor having a winding spindle adapted to receive a winding key, a table rotatable by said motor, a sound record secured to said table, a solid arm pivotally supported at one end by a shaft iournalled l ln said frame, a needle secured to said arm and adapted to cooperate with said record, a resonant diaphragm attached to the other end of said arm and supported entirely thereby, spring means to normally hold said needle in engagement with said record, means operable by the application of said key and temporarily nulliiying the eiect of said spring means for moving said shaft endwise and then revolving the same through a portion of a revolution for separating said needle from said record and moving saidl needle to starting position, means to normally restrain said table from rotation, and manual means to disable said restraining means.

6. A device as claimed in claim 3 having attached thereto a perforated plate adapted to be secured to a hollow figure toy whereby said device may be disposed within the interior of said figure toy, the manual control means projecting outwardly through said plate. n

ARTHUR BERGLUND. 

